


Gloxinia

by toflowerknights



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-26
Updated: 2015-11-26
Packaged: 2018-05-03 13:00:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5291801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toflowerknights/pseuds/toflowerknights
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>”Hey,” Bellamy said. ”Come to buy me more of my own flowers?”</p>
<p>”Well if it sounds like that I might just not,” Finn said and placed his hands on his hips. ”I thought it was romantic.”</p>
<p>”By giving me back my own flowers?” Bellamy asked, skeptically.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Bellamy owns a flower shop, and Finn is the guy trying to charm him with giving him his own flowers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gloxinia

Truth is, Bellamy wasn’t really sure how it all ended up like this. One moment he had been studying history and the other he was binding bouquets for nervous guys trying to ask the girl they liked out on a date. It had been his mother’s store and he had grown up between hyacints and carnations, his mother telling him stories of what the different flowers meant. Octavia had been sleeping in the back room and Bellamy had been helping his mother with arrangements. It was a second home of sorts.

When his mother had fallen ill Bellamy had immediately dropped his studies to take care of Blake’s flower shop while Octavia, in between her self defense classes, took care of their mom. After she had died Bellamy had sort of just stayed where he was, taking care of the shop and the customers that came there.

Bellamy had been working for a couple of hours that morning and the shop was relatively quiet when a guy came bursting through the door. He had tousled brown hair that curled behind his ears and his worn flannel shirt was hidden under an equally worn leather jacket.

He didn’t acknowledge Bellamy where he sat behind the counter and started to look among the flowers. After a bit of consideration the man began making a bouquet filled with happiness and love. It wasn’t what Bellamy would’ve made himself if that was the message he wanted to send, but he could see that the man put thought into every flower he put in the bouquet. That made him even more beautiful than before.

When he was done he nodded to himself and walked up to the register. ”I need a card as well,” the guy said as he dug through his backpack for something. His wallet, Bellamy persumed. ”Something that says ’I love you, you’re great, yada yada yada-” He looked up at Bellamy and stopped talking abruptly. ”Wow.”

The word slipped through the man’s mouth and he looked at Bellamy long enough for him to feel self conscious. ”Wait a minute,” the man continued and left his place in front of the desk. He was back a few seconds later and dropped a single flower next to his already tied bouquet. ”I need this one as well.”

Bellamy told him the total and watched as the man grabbed his bouquet in one hand and the single flower in the other.

”Have a nice day,” Bellamy said and was about to turn to the next person in line when the flower was raised toward him.

”I’m Finn,” the guy said. ”For you.” Then he was gone.

Bellamy looked down at the flower in his hand and tried to ignore the blush rising in his cheeks. It was red with it’s edges tinted white. A beautiful flower, full of hope and promise. Logically he knew that the man, Finn, didn’t know what the flower meant.

There was a cough in front of him and he startled when he realised that he’d forgotten about the people waiting in line.

”Sorry,” he hastened to say, and placed the flower behind him. Throughout the day it found a home in a vase Bellamy dug up from storage, and it brightened his mood every time he saw it in the corner of his eyes.

_Gloxinia_. Love at first sight.

 

-

 

”You kept it.”

Bellamy’s head flung up, and when he saw Finn standing in front of him felt himself blush.

”Well, it would be a waste to throw it away,” he said and prided himself in his ability to keep his voice steady. He held out his hand. ”I didn’t get a chance the other- I just thought- I’m Bellamy.” So much for not stuttering.

”Ah, good, your nametag wasn’t lying then,” Finn said and shook his hand.

Bellamy looked down at his shirt and made a pained sound in the back of his throat when he saw his name fastened on a name tag. ”I try to live an honest life,” he said jokingly.

A small smile spread across Finn’s face and Bellamy felt like dying. His only consolation was that Octavia wasn’t here to laugh at him. Because she would have. Repeatedly.

”Do you need anything in particular?” Bellamy asked, and tried to be professional, because he could see Mrs Johnson absent mindedly pick through his tulips with her ears straining to hear their conversation.

”I’m not sure yet,” Finn said. ”Lemme look for a while.”

He left Bellamy standing with a blush still high on his cheeks. Bellamy tried to do something that could be considered working and walked up to Mrs Johnson.

”Do you need any help Mrs Johnson?” he asked, and smiled politely as she jumped slightly in surprise.

”Oh, no, thank you dear,” she said and touched his arm, in which was supposed to be a friendly manner, even though Bellamy felt her nails dig into his bicep. ”I’m just looking for now. ”But I would love for your advice on how to handle my… garden sometime.”

Bellamy heard a loud cough from the other end of the shop and when he looked up he could see Finn bent over the gardenias, ironically wishing him good luck.

”Oh,” was all he said. ”Um… I- Well, we’ll see, Mrs Johnson.”

He was rewarded with a wide smile.

Before she could make any more innuendos that made Bellamy feel like he was in need of a shower he hurried back behind the register.

”I take it you have a habit of treating her garden?” Finn asked as he slid up in front of him.

”Please,” Bellamy whispered, ”Erase this moment from my mind.”

A loud laugh escaped Finn’s lips and he shook his head. ”Wouldn’t dream of it,” he replied and it struck Bellamy as odd, how comfortable they were joking around with each other. ”I should go,” Finn added as he looked at his watch. ”I have a lunch date and I’m getting late.”

”Well, punctuality is important,” Bellamy said, suddenly not feeling as cheerful as before.

Finn nodded. ”That is true,” he said and held up a white flower. ”Just this one today.”

”Ah, a Camellia,” Bellamy said as he rung up the price, and he wondered if Finn’s date would appreciate the message behind it. ”It’s a good flower. This particular colour and flower means ’You’re adorable’,” he continued as Finn raised his eyebrows in question.

”Well, then,” Finn said with a wide smile. ”Then it seems to be perfect for this situation.” He gave Bellamy the money and as he recieved the change he placed the flower in Bellamy’s now empty hand. When he got to the door he turned around to look at a perplexed Bellamy. ”Have a nice day.”

 

-

 

Finn was back the next week, hair still tousled and smile still warm. He tilted his head in greeting and Bellamy, who was tying a bouquet for a man trying to surprise his wife of thirty years, smiled widely at him. He stayed back until the man had left and then approached casually.

”Hi,” he said with a small smile. ”How are you?”

”Hey,” Bellamy said. ”Come to buy me more of my own flowers?”

”Well if it sounds like that I might just not,” Finn said and placed his hands on his hips. ”I thought it was romantic.”

”By giving me back my own flowers?” Bellamy asked, skeptically, and tried to ignore the fluttering in his chest by Finn describing it as romantic.

”Whatever,” Finn grinned. ”Break my heart, I don’t care.”

Bellamy made a humming noise and matched Finn’s grin with one of his own. ”What are you giving me today?” he asked, in what he hoped was a casual voice. He wondered if it was dumb to assume, but ever since the first time Finn had come in here he’d been buying him flowers.

Finn’s smile widened, which confirmed Bellamy’s beliefs. ”I haven’t decided yet,” he replied and took a quick look around. ”They’re all so pretty.”

He left Bellamy, who found it amusing to watch Finn inspect all the flowers around him. He spent minutes going through all of the different kinds and Bellamy wondered what he was looking after.

”You find anything?” Bellamy called out, and Finn whipped around with wide eyes.

”You’re not allowed to peek,” he said accusingly. ”How will it be a surprise if you do?”

”Finn,” Bellamy said apologetically. ”I know the layout of my own shop. You’re over by the tulips.”

Finn swore loudly. ”Curse your intelligence,” he said and gave Bellamy a quick wink. ”I’ll have to use all my wit to surprise you.”

After that it became even more amusing to see Finn trying to sneak around the shop without Bellamy seeing him.

”Is that young man okay?” an old lady whispered to him as she paid for her peonies.

”He’s fine,” Bellamy replied fondly. ”He’s trying to surprise me.”

A smile spread across the woman’s face. ”Oh, how wonderful,” she said. ”You make a lovely couple.”

Bellamy didn’t have time to tell her she was wrong, because Finn was suddenly in front of the desk with a pleased smile on his face.

”I’m afraid I can’t drag this out any longer,” he said seriously and handed Bellamy a flower, pink and delicate. Even though he was smiling, Bellamy sensed a shift in his mood, and they didn’t talk while Finn paid for the flower.

”I’ll see you,” Finn said with a small smile. He was out the door before Bellamy managed to say anything.

It wasn’t until later that day, when several customers had come and gone, that Bellamy really took in his latest flower.

An Azalea. _Take care of yourself._ He didn’t know what that was supposed to mean, or if Finn even knew what the flower meant. He placed it in the vase behind him.

Finn didn’t come the following day, or the day after that. Or the days after those first two days. Bellamy looked up every time the bell above his door rang, and had his hope crushed every time he did. He kept the azalea in the vase until long after it had withered and died.

 

-

 

A week and a half later his vase was empty and Bellamy, who had never been known to get hung up on anyone, was in a terrible mood. He tried not to dive into what that really meant. His sister told him to go out and get laid, Miller said the same and Monty wondered seriously if he wanted to talk. Bellamy had only managed a low grunt in response.

So here he was, irritated and knee deep in lilies on a Friday afternoon and all he wanted to do was go home and get monumentally drunk.

He didn’t look up when the bell rang, but kept talking to Mrs Griffin about how to properly take care of the flowers she had picked out. In the corner of his eye he saw a girl with a long pony tail walk in circles in his store, looking at the display of flowers. After a while she came up to the both of them with a mixed expression on her face. She looked like she really would rather be somewhere else.

”You Bellamy?” she asked in a rough voice. Both Bellamy and Mrs Griffin looked at her, too stunned to be annoyed with her interrupting them. Bellamy nodded.

”Huh,” she said. ”You’re not what I imagined.”

”Who… are you?” Bellamy asked, helplessly confused while Mrs Griffin looked on, both confused and amused.

”That is not important,” the girl barked out with her hand held up.

Mrs Griffin coughed slightly, still waiting for Bellamy to tell her how often to water her peonies, but silenced with one sharp look from the girl. She dug through her pockets of her worn out jeans and pulled out her phone and some cash.

”I’m supposed to give you this,” she continued and handed him a flower and the proper amount of money. ”And say,” she continued as she raised her phone. ”’I’m sorry I haven’t been able to give you flowers. I’ll be back sooner than you realise.’”

She looked at him expectantly and pressed her lips together in what looked like a hidden smile when she saw the blush that surely was on Bellamy’s face.

It was another Camellia. Pink this time. Bellamy nodded dumbly and the girl rolled her eyes and left.

”Twice a week at first?” she asked and held up her flowers.

”What?” Bellamy asked as he tore his gaze from his camellia. ”Oh, yeah at least. They need a lot of water as the root system establishes.” He trailed off and looked at the flower again, blushing when he thought about the fact that Finn had gotten a friend to come in and buy him a flower.

”Have you got an admirer?” Mrs Griffin asked curiously.

”Oh,” Bellamy said with a laugh. ”No, it’s just a thing that… my friend, well kinda friend, does.”

He was aware he was rambling, and he felt warm spots on his cheeks.

Mrs Griffin didn’t look convinced. ”Well, it seems like this _kinda friend_ misses you,” she said with a teasing smile. ”Thanks for the advice.”

The bell rang as she left the shop and for a moment everything around Bellamy was silent. He looked at the flower, laid it on the desk as he filled his dry and empty vase with water. Mrs Griffin might be right, he decided. Finn might miss him, if he knew what the flowers meant. He placed the Camellia in the vase, took in its anguished cry of _I’m longing for you_ and hid a small smile. Finn had promised he’d be back, and eventually Bellamy would find out of these were just random coincidenses or not.

 

-

 

”Bellamy, where do I put these?”

Bellamy looked up from where he was standing behind the counter and saw Octavia carry a large box of tulips.

”Where all the other tulips are, preferrably,” Bellamy said teasingly. ”If you can tell the difference that is.”

”Right, with the decorations,” Octavia said, without missing a beat. ”On it!”

”Thanks for helping out,” Bellamy retorted as she dumped them in their right place. She dusted her hands off on her jeans and jumped up on the counter.

”Get your filthy hands off my desk,” Bellamy said in a scandalized tone. ”There are customers here who won’t approve of your behaviour.”

”But I helped with the tulips,” Octavia pouted, even as she jumped off. ”And I’m adorable.”

The bell above the door rang, and kissed her quickly on her forehead. He turned around to greet the new potential costumer and saw Mr Kane from across the street shake off the rain from his umbrella before closing the door. But a few steps to his left Bellamy saw Finn stand frozen, gardenia in one hand. Butterflies spread insantly inside of him and Bellamy broke out in a wide smile. He didn’t realise that he had actually missed Finn. He raised his and waved at him.

But, unlike all the other times, Finn wasn’t smiling. He had his lips pressed together and looked like he’d been sucker punched. Bellamy’s smile faded.

”Something wrong?” he asked, and Finn snapped out of his trance.

”No, I suppose not,” he said shortly, ”I’ll be right there.”

”Bellamy, I’m getting the roses from out back,” Octavia called out and Bellamy nodded quickly.

He turned around, and to Bellamy’s surprise returned the gardenia from where he’d gotten it. He disappeared further into the store and Bellamy could see his brown hair move around between the rows of flowers. Bellamy felt inexplicably nervous and he didn’t understand why. Finn’s cold shoulder had him on edge.

His bad feeling was confirmed when Finn came up to the counter and handed him a flower, the right amount of money and left with a muted _’Goodbye’_.

A yellow hyacinth. Jealousy

”Was that him?” Octavia asked as she came out from the storage. At Bellamy’s hum she took the flower from his hand and studied it. ”Why is he jealous? What happened?”

”I don’t know,” Bellamy said quietly.

Bellamy would’ve much rather gotten the gardenia, telling him _You are lovely_.

 

-

 

 

It took Finn two weeks to come back.

Bellamy had been out back and when he got back into the shop Finn was standing in front of the counter, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

”Hi.”

After a few moments of suprised staring from Bellamy and awkward shuffling from Finn Bellamy remembered how to act like a human and walked up to the counter, using it as a barrier between them.

”Hey. How are you?”

”Really?” Finn said with a small smile. ”That’s what you’re going with?”

The slight teasing tone in his voice made Bellamy relax. ”It sounds better than ’You got your head out of your ass?’” he said and gave an apologetic nod to an elderly couple at the front of the store.

”I guess you’re right,” Finn sighed. ”I came to apologize. I behaved like an ass last time.”

Bellamy hummed and pretended to mull it over, but a smile made its way across his lips.

”Why did you?” he asked curiously and a blush spread across Finn’s cheeks.

”It’s stupid,” he mumbled, and at Bellamy’s raised eyebrows he sighed. ”I saw you and your girlfriend and got jealous.”

”I don’t have a girlfriend,” Bellamy replied, too surprised by the notion that Finn had been jealous that someone else might be dating him. He went through every person Finn could be thinking of and the only one he could think of was-

”Octavia?” he asked.

”I don’t know,” Finn replied.

”Long brown hair?”

”That’s the one.”

Bellamy let out a laugh. Mostly in relief but also at the ridiculous thought that he and Octavia might be dating. ”She’s my sister,” he replied. ”Not my girlfriend. Why would you think that?”

”Because,” Finn protested, redness still high on his cheeks. ”You kissed her on her forehead and looked really comfortable with her. And here I had been buying you flowers from your own goddamn shop to be all romantic and I thought you were into it. But then I’m gone for two weeks and-”

”Wait,” Bellamy interrupted, because Finn’s rambling were more sad than cute at this point. ”You bought all these flowers just so you could ask me out on a date?”

Finn, trying to regain his breath, looked at him fondly. ”Well, it started as that,” he replied, ”But then I spent all my money on buying you flowers, so now you’re going to have to ask me out.”

Bellamy still didn’t understand. ”You’re been flirting with me this whole time?”

”I have,” Finn said, and now it was accompanied by a wide grin. ”Thanks for noticing.”

”I guess that’s fair,” Bellamy said slowly. ”It all depends on the next flower, I guess. I’m guessing you’ve known the meaning behind the ones you’ve picked all along?”

Finn blinked. A wide grin spread across his face. ”You’re a bit slow on the uptake, aren’t you?” he asked and Bellamy couldn’t do anything but roll his eyes.

”Now you better impress me.”

With a wave of his hand Finn turned around to look at supply of flowers at his disposal. ”Close your eyes,” he demanded, and with a huff Bellamy did as he was told. A few seconds later he felt Finn grab his hand and place a flower in it. ”You can open them now.”

Bellamy did, and after he got used to the light once more he saw the flower Finn had picked out. A red tulip. A declaration of love.

”You don’t even know my last name,” Bellamy said dumbly as he caressed the flower.

”Sure I do,” Finn replied easily. ”It’s right out there on the sign!”


End file.
